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The Wait is Over: Demolition Derby Returns to Five Flags

By Chuck Corder

They’re baaaaaaack.

And with loud thuds, maybe a fire or two and plenty more of edge-of-your seat theatrics.

After 30-plus years away from the friendly confines of Five Flags Speedway, the famed half-mile, asphalt oval is ready to open the gates once again Friday night for this instant crowd pleaser.

Demolition Derby.

Just the mere utterance of those words can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. And that’s just for the fans.

Think what the drivers themselves will be feeling Friday night, especially with the last car standing taking home a whopping $1,500.

“I’m looking forward to going out there and tearing stuff up,� Ronnie Smith said with a big laugh.

Smith, a Pro Late Model stalwart at Five Flags until this season, is just one of the many drivers set to put an old, beat-up junker out of its misery.

Smith only had one request when friend David Tau approached him a few months back about driving a car for him in Friday night’s derby.

“I’m hoping the radio works,� Smith joked of rocking out while he drove Friday. “I don’t care what it sounds like, looks like, runs like. Just make sure the radio works. (Tau) didn’t have to twist my arm too much.�

The 35-lap West Florida Coatings Sportsman Special preceding the Demolition Derby probably won’t be as brutal. Probably.

The Super Stocks and Bombers keep their seasons rolling Friday. Also on slate is the annual Celebrities Race that will raise funds for United Cerebral Palsy Northwest Florida.

The grandstands open at 5 p.m. Friday with admission as follows: $15 Adults; $14 Seniors/Military; $12 Students; $5 Child (6-11); Under 6 is Free. The pits open at 3 p.m. with passes costing $25.

“I finally get to crash something and don’t have to worry about paying the bill when it’s over with,� said Smith, who has been to a couple of demolition derbies, but only as a spectator. “The biggest thing I noticed is that you want to protect the front of the car as much as possible. I’m planning on taking some frustrations out.�

Some of those frustrations certainly have come from not being able to field a Pro Late Model car this season.

After winning the track title in 2009 and finishing second to D.J. VanderLey last year, Smith put family first this year and focused on his business, Certified Plumbing.

“I felt like we were underfunded going into this year and not quite as competitive as where we needed to be,� Smith said. “We’re not done. We’re hoping to come out maybe at the (Snowball) Derby.�

It’ll be a different kind of Derby for Smith on Friday.

But one that is sure to entertain the fans just as much.

 

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